Portable bath



STATES PATENT OFFICE.

J. WRIGHT WARREN, JR., OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

PORTABLE BATH.

Specicaton of Letters Patent No. 1,710, dated July 31, 1840.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, J. WRIGHT IVARREN, Jr., M. D., of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented new Vand useful Improvements in Apparatus for Various Kinds of Bathing, which I denominate a Portable Bathing4 Tent.77

The improvements, the principles thereof,v the application lof said principles by which the same may be distinguished from other inventions together with such parts im-` proveinents or combinations I claim as my invention and hold to be original and new I have herein set forth and described,

which description taken in connection withA the accompanying drawings herein referred;

to composes my specification.

The object of my invention is to combine in one arrangement all'the conveniences for taking all the several description ofbaths, such as, warm, cold, vapor, medi-l cated vapor and shower baths. Said arrangement being contrived with due regard to simplicity and portability.

- The figures of the accompanying plate of drawings represent my improvements.

Figure 1 is a vertical sect-ion of the apparatus. Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view. Fig. 3 is a perspective view and Fig. i a detail view of the medicating tube.

A A A A is the bathing tub shaped asV seen in Figs. 1 and 2, and formed of Zinc or any other suitable material. y is inclosed by a proper casing of wood B B B B. Figs. 2 and 3 to the bottom of which are attached suitable legs or stand-` two circular holes or apertures fr Z) are made,

the aperture o being at the bottom of the tub, the other being situated at a height a little less than that to which a quantity of water sufficient for bathing would stand in the tub. One end of each o-f two pipes c c (Z d. Said pipes being covered with worsted or any proper substance is inserted in the apertures a, b, each of the other ends of said pipes communicating respectively with the top and bottom of a boiling apparatus at This tub VD D D D. This boiling apparatus consists of two concentric cylinders e e e-f f f Figs. 1 and 2 between which cylinders the water to be heated must pass or be placed. The space E in the inner or smaller cylinder e e e serves as a fire chamber and contains the fuel or iire from which the heat is derived, and as arranged with a grate or grating g g in the bottom as seen in Figs. l and 2, underneath which is an ash pan /L /z which slides in and out in any proper man ner.

The boiling space is provided with a safety valve at z' t to prevent the occurrence of any accident from an undue pressure o-f steam in the boiler, the operation of which safety valve will be readily understood by' an inspection of the boiling apparatus in Fig. 1.v On the opposite side of the lire chamber E is a conducting pipe or tunnel 7c with a screw stopper Z in the same, by removing which the water may be fed to the boiler or space between the cylinders e e c f f f when it is not introduced from the bathing tub.

Now, suppose the tube to be filled, above the upper pipe c c, with water, the communication being open to the .boiler through the pipes c c-CZ CZ, it will be seen from the well known laws of fluids that the water will adjustitself to a level in the two vessels, and when a lire is made in the furnace E, that the heated liquid in the boiler rising to the top of the samev will flow out through the pipe cc into the tub, and its place be supplied by the colder liquid movingV through the lower pipe Z d, and in this way a constant circulation is kept up (as represented by arrows in Fig. 1,) until the liquid is heated to the desired temperature. When this is accomplished s the operation is checked by the stop cocks m n Fig. 1, oper ated by the bent levers or handles o p by which the communication between the boiler and tub may be opened or closed at pleasure.

From the above described arrangement, the convenience of taking a warm bath in my apparatus will be sufliciently apparent. After using he water in the tub, it may be withdrawn from the same by unscrewing.

the pipes c c, Z d for which provision is inade by means of nuts and screws as shown at Q, r.

I shall now proceed to describe such additional parts as are necessary in taking a s the exterior or crimson colored curtain be- Vlng used, merely to add neatness and elegance to utility in the apparatus, to make it suitable as an article of household furniture. oiled silk or any other water proof cloth, which when down forms as it were a close apartment, and preventsthe water in thev tub, from being thrown into the room by the motions of the body while bathing, and likewise retains kthe vapor within the apartment so formed. A cover s s is placed on top of the bathing tub A A A A which cover turns on proper hinges and has holes vperforated through the same at t t as seen in Fig. 2. Now in order to take a vapor bath the tub A A AA should be empty and the stop cock n be closed so as to shut oft'` all communication through the lower pipe.

`The water being introduced through the tunnel or pipe c as has Vbeen described; the steam generated from the Vsame will pass into the tub through the upper pipe c c and the bath may be taken in the tub or by standing or resting on the cover s s,

through the holes 't Z of which, the vapor passes into the apartment. formed by the curtains as above described. The cover s s likewise serves in case of warm bat-h to eX- pedite the, process of heating the water by excluding the cold atmosphere from the tub.

If we wish to medicate the vapor bath, it

can be done by means of the upright tube u u, Fig. 4, communicating with the pipe This tube hasta screw stopper '/v and a covered cup or other proper shaped vessel w w in which the prescribed essence or medicament `is placed. The stopper o is hollow, as seen in Fig. 4, and has a suitable `shoulder and washer, as shown at m, so as when screwed down to eii'ectually close the pipe or tube a. Directly underneath the washer at small holes s', 3, &c., are drilled to communicate with the tubeof the stopper o, so that by loosening orunscrewing the stopper the oil or essence will ooze, as it were, into the pipe of the stopper and dropping gradually into the pipe c c (through which the steam from the boiler passes) will evaporate and thereby impregnate the vapor and prepare the desired bath.

The arrangement and conveniences for a warm or cold shower bath may be thus described. A force pump y y is arranged at the footof the bathing tub A A A on` one side of the medicator a a.' The pump has a proper valve a, Fig. l, and communicates with the tub by means of the pipe a a The inner curtain is composed of opening into the same.` The"waterv being drawn into the cylinder of the pumpis forced into the pipe ZJ bf Z9 Z2 which leads up through the pillarorstandard `F (made hollow for the purpose) and conducts to the receiving vessel c 0, the return of the water to the cylinder of the pump being prevented by the valve Z,Fig. 1." When the vesselv c c is full the fact is indicated by the dis7 charge pipe e e', oneV end of which opens into the vessel at or near thef top of the same. Beneaththe vessel c c is the showering tub t t', the bottom of which is suitably perforated as shown in Fig. 1.* A weighted valve serves to open or close the communicationbetween the two' vessels. This valve is controlled by thebather by means of the cord'g g, one endof which is attached to the arm It of the valve, the other end` passing down within his reach.` While `taking the` cords are attached (when the curtain is down) to any part of the surface ofthe cylinder or roller n, Fig. l, which revolves in suitable bearings in the hollow pediment. Another cord 0. p has `one end attached to cylinders n', and the cord is wound several times aroundthe cylinder, the other end p being within reach of the bather. It` will readily be seen that if the loose end p of the cord is drawn down twill unwind and by so doing turn the cylinder, thereby winding the cords Z Z Z 'Z, &c., up in an opposite ldirection By this means the curtain is drawn up and isretained in its position by a loop in the end of the cord 0 79 attached to any proper hook on the side of the wooden casing ofthe bathing tub. v

`The smoke from the furnace or boiling apparatus may be conveyed to any flue by means of a proper funnel or vpipe" leading from the top of the furnace at A.l

Having completed the description of the machinery I shallnow Aproceed to specifically point out those partsI claim as my invention and ho-ld to" be `original and new:

1. I claim.` Impregnating or medicating the 'vapor bathby means of the tube a u and hollow screwtstopper o (with holes or openings s s in said stopper through which the liquid in the cup 'ww willypass into the tube u u when' the stopper' is unscewed, as

`herein described) in `combination with the conducting pipe c' c, through `,which the vaporv passes to the tub A A\A A.` Y

2. I claim the combinationloi' the boiling or heating apparatus D D D D (constructed substantially as above described) with the bathing tub A A A A, and showering apparatus consisting of a forcing pump g/ y, conducting pipe Z/ Z9" Z2 ZJ, vessel c c and showering tub t t, by which combination, a shower bath of any required temperature may be obtained, and I also claim in combination With the showering apparatus above mentioned, the discharge or alarm pipe for the object liereinbefore set forth, and 'like- Wise the circular Curtain z" z" z" z" (for inolosing the bather While taking the shower bath) said Curtain being operated by the several cords Z Z" Z Z Z Z 0" 0 Working with the rollers or Cylinder a `as explained in the foregoing description.

In testimony that the above is a true description of my said invention and improvement I have hereto set my signature this ninth day of July in the year of our Lord eighteen hundred and forty.

J. VRIGHT WARREN, JR.

Witnesses:

R. H. EDDY, JOHN NOBLE. 

